After Giles finished his speech, he reverted to his old habit of polishing his glasses as the silence settled across the room. Everyone assembled had a different immediate reaction, but one thing stayed the same -- shocked disbelief. No one was ready to give up.

Xander spoke first. "So, let me get this straight. Buffy got sucked into some vortex because Giles and Wills screwed up a spell? And she had to sleep with that world's Angelus, and then drink his magic potion laced blood in order to come home. Only something happened and she disappeared *after* she reappeared, and we have no idea where she is now. Right?"

"That is essentially correct, yes," Giles told him.

"Am I the one only bothered by this?" he asked.

"No," chorused the assembled group.

"Just checking," Xander replied.

Willow sniffed, her tear-stained face red from hours of pouring out her sorrow and guilt, and leaned against Xander, earning her a sharp glance from Anya. Cordelia watched this with something bordering on amusement, but if you looked closely you could see a little envy. Doyle shifted himself closer to Cordelia, and looked at Angel. The ensouled vampire looked only a little better than he had earlier, and the half-demon could see barely concealed guilt and anger and despair in his eyes. Angel looked up then, and his eyes settled on Spike. Feeling his sire's stare, the younger vampire met his gaze, and nodded imperceptibly.

Angel sighed. "I think we should call it a night. It's only an hour before dawn, and you guys have school and work today. We can meet tonight and do more research."

Willow immediately protested. "But I can't go! I want to research some more -- I don't care about classes! Buffy's way more important."

"Willow," Giles began, "you're exhausted as it is. And you need to sleep and go to class, if only so that when Buffy does get back you can explain to her what she missed. Please, Willow."

The redhead looked ready to protest again, but snapped her mouth shut and nodded in acknowledgment. She rose from her seat reluctantly, and Xander -- with his shadow, Anya -- agreed to make sure she got back to the dorm safely. After they were gone, Angel cleared his throat and looked at Doyle, tossing him a key.

"That's the key to the house on Crawford Street -- Cordelia knows where it is," he added as the half-demon raised an eyebrow. "You two go on ahead; I'll be there soon." Although Cordelia looked like she too might protest, she and Doyle left together, and they could be heard bickering before they'd even reached the door.

Giles looked at Angel and Spike. "You know something," he stated. "Something you don't want the others to hear."

Both vampires nodded. Giles sighed a poured himself another glass of Scotch, sinking back onto the couch. "Well, let's hear it," he said wearily.

"The other me ... William," Spike began, "told me a little about his world. There Darla and Drusilla are gone -- dust, burned to death in a fire in Prague. That damn city ... " he trailed off. "Anyway, it was the Master's fault, and he and Angelus were out for revenge. From what he told me, the bastard had been trying to distract them. A strange, new slayer to play with would be as good a way as any."

"I see," Giles said thoughtfully. "But what proof do we have that they would *want* to keep Buffy, if indeed it was the Master who somehow manipulated the spell in order to return her to that world?"

Spike stared straight at Angel, who winced and said, "I know my demon."

Giles looked up, a little surprised. "What has that got to do ... "

Angel sat straight up and looked Giles in the eyes. "My demon is as besotted with Buffy as I am in love with her," he said bluntly. "Killing her was never on the agenda -- turning her and making her my consort was."

Eyes locked, and tensions rose, long pent-up emotions threatening to spiral out of control. Spike looked nervously from one to the other, wondering if he was going to have to referee. Fortunately it didn't come to that. Angel got up and started pacing, while Giles knocked back another shot of Scotch.

"Bugger ... " Spike whispered.

"So," Giles began.

Angel looked back at him. "He'll want her."

And then the three lapsed into silence, contemplating options.

The End